Breakaway
by pegasus-fics
Summary: Someone is turning into a Wraith and John faces some life and death situations.JohnLiz, rating may vary. FINISHED 27th May
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Breakaway  
**Author:** me  
**Rating:** can vary from chapters, this chapter PG+  
**Genre:** Angst/Romance  
**Pairing:** **Sparky! aka John/Liz**  
**Spoilers:** Season 2, Ronon's in it  
**Summary:** Someone is turning into a Wraith and John Sheppard finds himself in life and death situations.  
**Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's characters don't belong to me.  
**A/N:** This fic isn't betaed. Excuse any mistakes. -

**Briefing, 10am**

"So you say the Wraith can actually change a human into a Wraith?" John asks, looking at Elizabeth.  
"Yes, from what I've translated so far."  
"But why? What would they gain from it?"  
"I'm not sure. Rodney? Any ideas?"  
"Well, they could certainly gain information about things like weapons, advanced technology, other feeding places..." he trailed off.  
"So, we have a problem." John stated, looking between Rodney and Elizabeth.  
"Not necessarily, John. This tablet says that when the human Wraith doesn't feed in a week, he'll die. But there is also one chance to revert the transformation process back to human. However it must be done before he feeds because after feeding it won't be possible."  
"And how does one do that?" Carson asked.  
"According to this tablet and what we've translated so far, there is a planet where there are people who can do this. They're not technologically advanced like us, they are rather simple farmers. They have special plants and a special rituals which can relieve the body of the Wraith DNA, leaving no traces. Other than the psychical ones."  
"And how do we find that place?"  
"Surprisingly, the Ancients left a group of coordinates."  
"Well, that's...positive." Rodney munched on his muffin.  
"Indeed." Ronon spoke up for the first time.  
"So we're going to the planet?" John asked.  
"No, at least not yet. We still have a few sections of the table to translate so it could take a while."

**Midnight, Quarters area**

He was hungry. He needed to find some food. He smiled to himself as he saw the silhouette of the Atlantis leader heading to her quarters.

**Next day**

"Where the hell is Elizabeth?" Rodney whined. "She was supposed to be here 10 minutes ago."  
"Calm down Rodney. Maybe she just overslept. She got to bed very late, even though I practically dragged her out of her office." Carson said. "She's been working herself too hard."  
"You!" Rodney pointed accusingly at the newcomer.  
"Wha?" John asked, confused by Rodney's behaviour. He looked around the room. "Where's Elizabeth?"  
"Shouldn't we be asking you that?" Rodney ask with a death glare.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Nothing."  
"Of course."  
"Please stop." Teyla effectively cut their bickering. "Maybe she's hurt."  
"Well, she could have slipped in the bathroom." Carson suggested.  
"Let's check."  
They arrived at her quarters but found no one. Then they went to the gym, infirmary, commissary, all balconies but they still couldn't find her anywhere.  
John's radio beeped.  
"Elizabeth?"  
"No, this is control room. Sir we have a problem. You remember the Wraith we found in Atlantis in one of those stasis pods?"  
"Yeah."  
"He's no longer there."  
"WHAT?" he shouted into the microphone, unable to stay calm. "Lt. are you telling me that we have a free Wraith in the city? We can't find Dr. Weir." John was internally panicking.  
"Y-yes sir. Understood."  
"Okay, let's get geared up, we need to find him, and Elizabeth." Carson patted him on the back.  
"Don't worry lass, I'm sure she will be fine."  
"I hope so Carson."  
John wasn't so sure of that.

East End

They've been searching almost everywhere they could but still couldn't find the Wraith nor Elizabeth. John could only think about one thing.

_'If he hurts her, I'm gonna kill him with my bare hands.'_

He was alone searching in one of the corridors in the East end when his radio chirped into life.  
"Colonel, this is Teyla."  
"Go ahead."  
"We have found and killed the Wraith. However we did not find Dr. Weir."  
"Copy that. Sheppard out."

"Elizabeth?" he called out into the empty hallway, his voice bouncing against the walls. Still no answer.  
He was sure someone was watching him. He felt the hairs on his neck stand up. This place was creepy with almost none lights on.  
"Elizabeth? Please, where are you? Are you hurt?"  
Suddenly he felt someone behind him. He spun around but could only make out the figure. He felt his P90 be torn from him with a force that shocked him. Then there was a fist connecting with his jaw and he found himself flying through the air until he hit the wall behind him, air knocked out of his lungs and probably a concussion.

What the hell was that?

What he saw next was the figure standing above him, then the unmistakeable palm of a Wraith. He forced his eyes open, he wanted to see who kills him. The Wraith torn his shirt apart, it's palm nearing his chest. To his surprise the Wraith stopped just centimetres from his chest. He could sense the Wraith was hesitating. He didn't know why. But then the Wraith crouched down, looking at him with its yellow eyes. He gasped. The Wraith immediately stood up and disappeared as John's world faded into blackness.

"Colonel? Colonel! John!" Carson called, slapping gently his cheeks.  
"Where am I?"  
"In the East end. How are you feeling?"  
"Headachy."  
"You probably have a mild concussion."  
"The Wraith?"  
"We killed him, Colonel." Teyla confirmed.  
"Have you found Elizabeth?" Rodney asked.  
"Yes."  
"Where is she?" he demanded.  
"I don't know."  
"But you just..."

John shocked everyone with his statement.

"She's a Wraith."

TBC (have I mentioned that I'm evil?)

Feedback is reeeeeeeeally appreciated. :D


	2. Chapter 2

Carson, John and the rest of his team were all in the infirmary, Carson giving John a check up.  
"I'm telling you, she wanted to feed on me but she stopped. I'm not sure why."  
"I think that the human part of her didn't want to kill you. I think the Wraith instinct is prevailing in her, so she's having an urge to feed."  
"How did she look like? Like you at the iratus bug incident?"  
"No, nothing like that. She still had her uniform on, and her hair was normal but the skin and her face were resembling a Wraith but at the same time it has kept some of her features. I don't think she's fully converted into the Wraith. When she looked at me...her eyes were yellow." John gulped as he remembered the intensity of her gaze.  
"Has she told you anything?"  
"No."  
Silence. Everyone seemed to be lost in thought.  
"Okay Colonel. You're fairly good, but you'll have a nasty bump at the back of your head. You're lucky you don't have a concussion. But if you feel dizzy or..."  
"I get it doc. Thanks." John smiled and hopped off the bed.

"I think we should find her."  
"WHAT?" Rodney exclaimed.  
"Rodney, she's a Wraith. If we don't find her, the wraith feeding instinct will prevail in her and she can kill someone and we might never get her back. We need to..." he was interrupted by his radio buzzing.

"Colonel Sheppard, we have a situation in the control room."  
"What kind of situation?"  
"There's a Wraith."  
"DO NOT SHOOT, UNDERSTOOD?" he screamed and everybody jumped at this. "We're coming, just do not shoot."  
"O-okay Colonel." the young Lt. didn't sound so convinced though.  
The team with Carson jogged into the gate room, where Elizabeth stood in the middle of guns pointed at her.

"Elizabeth?" John rushed to her. She looked at him in fear and bewilderment.  
"Can you speak?" she shook her head no.  
"Okay. Ummm, why don't we get you to the infirmary so Doc can check you over?" She shook her head vehemently. Suddenly she winced in pain and pressed her hands to her head.  
"Elizabeth? What's wrong?" John stepped up closer but she hold out her clawed hand and stopped him. He could sense she was fighting the wraith instinct.  
"You want to feed?" a slight nod answered his question.  
"What will we do, Colonel?" Teyla asked.  
"I'm not sure."  
"Shouldn't we get her as far from people as possible?" Rodney spoke up.  
"Now that's a plan. Elizabeth?" he turned back to her.  
"You want to be alone? Without people around you, so you won't have the urge to feed?" Again he was rewarded with a nod. John ran his hand through his hair.  
"Now what? Lower the guns now, she's not dangerous...yet." The officers drew their guns back. As soon as Elizabeth saw this she ran to the control panel. The guns were pointed at her again but John stopped them.  
"Do not shoot!"  
He ran towards her. She was standing by the DHD but surrounded with people with guns.  
"Liz, you want to go off world?" A nod.  
"I don't know what to do." John admitted defeat. Elizabeth decided for him. She started punching the symbols and the Gate sprung into life.  
"You can't let her go, Colonel!" Rodney, Carson and Teyla exclaimed.  
"But she can't stay here either!" he retorted. "I know. I'm going with her."  
"No!"  
"You're crazy."  
"I don't think that's wise, Colonel."  
Carson, Rodney and Teyla spoke at the same time.  
"I have to. We can't lose her. I'll watch her so she won't feed and hopefully we'll find people who can help her."  
The trio sighed in resignation, they knew that John needed to do things concerning Elizabeth himself.  
"But she can kill you."  
"She won't. She had the opportunity once already."  
"Colonel, we translated other parts of the text. The healing can take months because the ritual needs to be repeated several times."  
"I don't care, she's irreplaceable here." He looked at Elizabeth who was pleading with her eyes. John realized she needed to get out as soon as possible. "What are the coordinates of?"  
"Inhabited planet, Kaala."  
"Don't follow us. She won't stay on an inhabited planet."  
"But she can go everywhere!"  
"I know Rodney, that's why I'm going with her!" John grabbed his P90, the IDC transmitter and the rest of his gear and headed down towards the shimmering gate with Elizabeth.  
"Be safe, Colonel. Take care of her and bring her home soon." Teyla said.  
"I'll try to." he smiled softly. Meanwhile Elizabeth stepped through the Gate.  
"I have to go. Just...don't blow up the city."  
Everyone smiled and then John was gone and the Gate shut down.

_Planet Kaala_

John stepped through the event horizon and was met by the sight of woods nearby the Gate and Elizabeth standing by the DHD.  
"You okay?" he asked and wanted to touch her arm but she withdrew, as if she was afraid of him. She averted his gaze but nodded.  
"Okay, so where are we going?" he asked and as if on cue she started punching symbols on the DHD. "Is that planet uninhabited?" A nod. "Good." How did she knew that was beyond him.  
They once again stepped into the Gate. John just prayed that they'll both come through all this okay.

_Uninhabited planet_

As soon as they stepped through the gate on the other planet, they, or at least him, were mesmerized by its beauty. Sun was shimmering on a nearby lake just on the outskirt of the woods. Elizabeth moved towards the woods while John, following her, wondered why this beautiful place was vacant. Getting deeper into the woods, he spotted a cave and he was sure that's where she was going.

"So this will be our apartment, huh?" he tried to joke and make her smile, although he wasn't sure if a wraith could smile. She managed a weak one and stepped into the cave. The mouth of the cave was a bit higher than he but as they went further, they needed to bend down. At the very end of the cave, they nearly went on all fours.  
"Comfy, huh?" That earned him another small smile.  
"Why don't you settle here, I'll check the place out and bring some wood for a fire, okay?" She nodded, her yellow eyes piercing him.  
He surveyed the whole area, even managed to find some dry wood when something stopped him. He could hear the dry branches crunching beneath someone's feet. He turned around, expecting it to be Elizabeth, but instead of her he faced another Wraith. He took a step backwards, wishing he didn't put his P90 down in the cave. He trusted Elizabeth enough not to kill him with it, even in her Wraith state.

So he took his sidearm and began shooting...no luck. The Wraith healed himself immediately. The next thing he new he was being backhanded across his face and he flew to a nearby tree. Now he was sure he had a concussion. The Wraith approached him again but didn't feed on him right away. John fought with him but took a pretty nasty beating. Just as he was sure he'll die, something attacked the Wraith from behind with a roar. Or rather someone...it was Elizabeth who launched herself onto him. He saw her Wraith teeth for the first time and he shuddered. That's why she didn't want to smile. John watched mesmerized by her will to fight. He was proud of her.

The Wraith was shocked to be attacked by another almost-Wraith and Elizabeth took an advantage of that. She used her clawed hands and then everything happened in a blur to John, probably due to his concussion. Next she was helping him up. He looked at motionless body of the Wraith.  
"Is he...dead?" she nodded and averted her eyes and lowered her gaze to the ground. It was against Elizabeth's belief to kill anybody, yet she's done it. He lifted her chin up to look into her eyes.

"Thank you. I know it's against your belief, Elizabeth. But if you weren't here in time, I'd be dead." She looked at him with sad eyes. John started to feel very bad. Every fibre in his body hurt, his head hurt, he lost quite a lot of blood and he was sure he cracked a rib or two. He leant on her as she walked them to the cave. Once they were in, she laid him down gently. Suddenly he started coughing and felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. This wasn't good. One of his rib pierced his lung.

She sat down next to him and looked at him with sad eyes again. She reached out her wraith palm to his chest and John froze on the spot.  
"Is it that bad?" he managed a weak smile. She looked at him, unmoving, face expressionless, but the intensity in her yellow eyes never ceased to amaze him. Next she placed the palm on his chest gently and John prepared himself for the inevitable.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**From previous chapter: **  
_"She sat down next to him and looked at him with sad eyes again. She reached out her wraith palm to his chest and John froze on the spot.  
"Is it that bad?" he managed a weak smile. She looked at him, unmoving, face expressionless, but the intensity in her yellow eyes never ceased to amaze him. Next she placed the palm on his chest gently and John prepared himself for the inevitable."

* * *

_

But what he feared didn't come. She wasn't sucking life out of him. He felt relaxing warmth spreading from the place where her palm was into his entire body. He glanced at Elizabeth, she had her eyes closed and was concentrating hard on what she was doing. He was starting to feel good...very good in fact. His whole body didn't hurt anymore. He was sure he was already dead, because the warmth was comforting and he felt no pain. He was brought back from his dreamy state when her palm left his chest and she moved away from his side and leant against the wall of the cave, knees drawn up to her chest, hugging them with both her arms. That was the last image he saw because he fell into a deep sleep.

He awoke with a start and noticed that it was already dark outside. He streched and he realized he's never slept this good before. He even hasn't felt this good for a long time. He wondered briefly if he was really dead or if he just felt plain great. He saw Elizabeth sitting in the corner of the cave, not so far from him, sleeping. He could hear her whimpering in her sleep so he moved towards her and stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't feel any pain, although he was sure he wasn't dreaming before of a Wraith attacking him. She healed him. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. She healed him...with her Wraith palm. He was brought by his shock-clouded mind by her another whimper. He moved forward and sit next to her, watching her troubled face. He reached up with one hand and caressed her cheek softly, surprised at the feel of her skin. It wasn't as slimy as the Wraith. It had a similar white-green color as the Wraith, true, but she was nothing like your ordinary Wraith. He noticed that her teeth weren't as big as Wraiths, she didn't have white hair and the gills-like cheeks but her nose and eyes were very wraith-like. She was looking more human than Wraith. But if they don't find the cure soon, she'll die or she will feed on him.

He was brought back from his contemplating and watched Elizabeth sleep. From her whimpering he knew that she must have been having bad dreams or she just lacked food...human food. Either way, he decided to wake her.  
Keeping his fingers on her cheek, he whispered: "Elizabeth..." When she didn't wake he tried a little bit louder.  
"Elizabeth"  
She woke up with a start, her eyes alert and full of bewilderment as she tried to scoot away from him and his touch but found it impossible.  
"I won't hurt you. Don't be afraid of me." She only blinked at him and then looked at his outstreched arm, the one with his hand on her cheek. "You don't want me to touch you?" She nodded and he dropped his hand. "Why?" he asked, searching for an answer in her eyes. Instead, she hold out her wraith palm and nodded ever so slightly to it.  
"Because you're a wraith?" Another nod. This wasn't his Elizabeth. She wasn't so easy to scare. But he would bet that she was scared of that thing inside her and what it could do. "Elizabeth..." he paused, to recollect his thoughts. "You healed me." It wasn't a question, yet she nodded. "I'm not going to ask you how or why but you must have sensed all my wounds." She nodded, looking at her hands folded in her lap. He took her hand, the one with the wraith palm, in his larger one. She was shocked, her eyes widening as she tried to pull it away from his grasp but he wouldn't let her.  
"I know you're afraid, Elizabeth, of this thing and what it could do. But the truth is, you saved me with it. You saved my life. This you can't deny." She closed her eyes momentarily and then looked at him. The fear disppeared but there was still tiny amount of apprehension. "Don't be afraid of me, Elizabeth. I should be afraid of you." he smiled and she smiled weakly at him. "Now go back to sleep, okay?" she nodded. "Goodnight." he smiled as he caressed her cheek once again. He laid back onto the ground where he was sleeping almost all day. He checked Elizabeth and saw she too moved to sleep onto the ground instead of leaning against the wall.

But sleep wouldn't come. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not fall asleep. There were too many questions and thoughts running through his head at thatvery moment. The other reason was Elizabeth. She was whimpering again in her foetal position not so far away from him, her back turned to him. He called out to her:  
"Elizabeth?" He knew she wasn't asleep because she turned to him almost immediately with a question in her eyes. "You want to feed?" She nodded sadly. "Come here." he saw her eyes widen and she shook her head vehemently.  
"I didn't mean for feeding on me. So come over here." he smiled and hoped for a smile from her but it didn't come. He saw her hesitation and fear but then she moved uncertainly, scooting towards him closer, while she kept her eyes on him. She lied down next to him but he arched his brow at her. He outstreched his arm and said: "Not there. Here." he beckoned her to lie in his arms. He still could see her hesitation in her eyes. She moved nevertheless, her head resting on his chest. She wasn't sure where to put her wraith hand but he took her wrist and placed in on his chest. "As long as you don't feed on me..." he trailed off with a grin and he could see her smile softly. She squirmed a little to get more comfortable in his arms and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you." he whispered and she looked up at him from his chest with an expression that told him 'what for'.  
"For everything." He wasn't smiling. He meant it. She saved his life. She smiled at him in understanding and placed her palm above his heart. He smiled to himself and this time the sleep came almost immediately.

TBC

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The next chap can take a while because I have exams. But once I'm free I'm going to write like crazy. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. I really want to know what you think of it. Thank you. :) And thanks goes to those who already feedbacked. You know who you are. ;)  



	4. Chapter 4

Hey, next chap! Yay! This one's kinda short so forgive me. I'd like to thank so much to all who reviewed, you're the power that keeps me going. grouphug Oookie, I got 1221 hits on this one and too few reviews. I'd love to see what you all think. It doesn't matter that you write 'I like it' or sth like that, I won't be mad. ;)

Okay, onto teh fic. (not beta-ed)

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John woke up at the crack of dawn, pleased to find Elizabeth still sleeping peacefully in his arms. She hadn't woken during the night with an urge to feed...on him. And he's grateful for that. Suddenly she stirred, tightening her hold on his waist and burying her face in his neck. He felt her stiffen when she realized where she was and what had happened. He knew that she didn't want to face the world today, not like this. That was when he promised to himself that he'd protect her and make sure she'd heal.  
She moved her head and looked at him sleepy eyed. When he saw her eyes again, he couldn't suppress the gasp. Instantly, she moved and shuffled from him as far as possible. He sat up and moved towards her but he knew she was feeling ashamed.

"'Lizabeth..." he murmured. "I'm sorry, I guess I've still not gotten used to it. I miss your eyes. And your smile."  
She looked up, tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks. He watched as few tears escaped her eyes and moved his hand to wipe them away. She watched him with sad eyes. Suddenly his stomach rumbled, easing the tension between them. He laughed and saw her smile and that pleased him greatly.

"Guess we should look for some food. Forgive me if I ask this, but are you hungry?" her eyes widened. "No, no. I meant other than human food." That wasn't funny and he knew it. However, she nodded her head. "Fancy a walk with me?" He stood up and she too scrambled to her feet. Together they went out of the cave, through the forest onto the clearing with a small lake and rich vegetation. John reached up for a branch with some orange-colored fruit, at least he hoped it was fruit, and plucked it off. He sniffed at it, looked at it and got rid of the peel covering it.  
He shot Elizabeth a look and grinned.

"I hope it's not poisonous."

He saw her smiling back at him with cocked head to one side and he could almost see her arched eyebrow. He took a bite of the fruit. It was sweet and juicy and it reminded John of oranges and he decided to call them that. Munching on the juicy orange, he decided it's not poisonous and reached up and plucked off another one and handed it to Elizabeth, meeting her eyes. She took it and peeled of the skin and turned her back to him. John wondered why briefly and then realized it must have been for her sharp small teeth she was ashamed to show. He could see she was starting to look more Wraith then yesterday. Her skin was almost white, the roots of her hair were beginning to lose their color, there were the tell-tale marks of the gill-like cheeks beginning to form and also the ridges above her eyes grew bigger.

When she turned to him, he observed her silently but very briefly. Reaching for his flask, he found it empty, so they went towards the lake and he filled the bottle with fresh water. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Elizabeth looking into the water at her reflection. She ran her hand across her cheek and he was sure if she could speak, she'd scream. Instead she hit the water with a force, blurring her reflection. She took up on a run and John sprinted towards her. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her to him but she wriggled free out of his grasp and that's when he gasped. She stopped running away and turned around to see John sporting a cut on his bicep, cut that went through his shirt and on his skin, bleeding just slightly.

He could see the hatred at herself/the creature in her eyes, filling with tears. She started to reach out with her wraith palm to heal it but he stopped her.

"No, Elizabeth. It's nothing. You didn't hurt me. It's just a scratch. It's okay. I'm okay." he persuaded her but still could see some insecurity in her eyes. Suddenly she doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach with one hand and her head with the other. "'Lizabeth? What's wrong?" asked, terrified. "You have the urge to feed again?" The shook of her head concerned him. He didn't know what was happening. She fell to her knees and sat down, he did the same, offering her the flask with water. She refused but it seemed the pain went away for a while.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted together in concern. She nodded slightly and he let out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding. "We should go to the planet where they can heal you today. Are you ready now?" She nodded once again and he helped her from the ground. He watched her with wary eyes as they walked to the cave to retrieve their things.

Sometime later, they were standing by the Gate.

"Do you remember the coordinates?" She nodded and started punching symbols on the DHD. With the last chevron locked, the Gate sprung into life. Just as he was about to head towards the shimmering puddle, he noticed Elizabeth going down, but he managed to catch her from falling to the ground completely. He called her voice for a few times but did not get a reply.

When he stepped with her in his arms into the Stargate, he prayed that it was not too late for her.

**TBC aka teh evil cliffie

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**

The next chap probably coming soon along with some new fics as well. Just posted another new story. headdesk I have millions of plot bunnies. Help?


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far! Love you guys! ;) Sorry for the delay, my muse left with Sheppard. :D  
This story is not beta read!

* * *

_Previously on Stargate: Atlantis:  
Sometime later, they were standing by the Gate._

_"Do you remember the coordinates?" She nodded and started punching symbols on the DHD. With the last chevron locked, the Gate sprung into life. Just as he was about to head towards the shimmering puddle, he noticed Elizabeth going down, but he managed to catch her from falling to the ground completely. He called her voice for a few times but did not get a reply._

_When he stepped with her in his arms into the Stargate, he prayed that it was not too late for her._

**And now the conclusion...**

As soon as John stepped through the Gate on the other side with Elizabeth still in his arms, he called her name again. Getting no response, he carefully sat down on the stairs that led to the Gate, cradling her in his arms. Reaching out with one hand, he checked her vitals. He gave a sigh of relief when he felt the strong pulse of her jugular. He couldn't lose her. Not now when they were just within reach of healing her. Gathering her in his arms once again, he stood up, surprised at how light she was.

He looked around the planet. It looked like any other planet they've been to. The sun was shining brightly on the sky, contrasting with his gloomy mood. Her unconsciousness worried him. He's never been this scared. This was the woman who had believed in him and had fought for him to become the military commander of the expedition. He accidentally found out when he had overheard two soldiers gossiping about his promotion. He had been shocked at first but then what she had said on the Deadalus on the way back home to Atlantis started to make more sense.

Sighing, he looked around his surroundings. He didn't know where to go but he headed straight forward, hoping to find the people who'd help Elizabeth. Soon he found a path that led them to a village with a well in the middle of a courtyard, surrounded by many simple huts made from stone, wood and thatched roofs. People were mingling around him, looking at him with curiosity and caution. He saw a man approaching him. The man's gaze fell on unconscious Elizabeth in his arms.

"Hello. My name is Curan, I am the leader of this village."  
"Hi. Uh, I'm Colonel John Sheppard, this is Dr. Elizabeth Weir." Glancing again at Elizabeth, Curan said:  
"I assume that you knew where to turn to. We are a very closed community and only a few planets and their inhabitants know this place."  
"Yes. We came from the City of Ancestors. Can you help her, please?" Curan smiled and examined Elizabeth's face closely.  
"We will try our best, Colonel. But you must know that at this stage of transformation, the healing procedure will be extremely painful for her. Oh, I'm sorry. Come, I will show you where you can put her down." Curan took the lead and John followed suit to a nearby hut. John was surprised at how spacious and clean the room was. Curan motioned to a bed where John could put Elizabeth down.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" he asked once he was assured she was relaxed.  
"She simply lacks food. Humans. She is very weak and vulnerable. However, she will wake up soon."  
"What can you tell me about the procedure?" John asked impatiently, pacing the room and looking around.  
"We are growing special plants which slow down the transformation until it's stopped completely. She will drink an extract from these plants. In addition, special rituals must be carried out, where she is covered in hot packs, soaked with those extracts as well."  
"And this will help her?" Curan could sense the doubt in John's voice. He smiled and reassured him quickly.  
"Colonel, nearly three quarters of people living in this village went through the same as your friend will in a short time." John stopped in his tracks and looked at Curan with surprise in his face.  
"Really? They were all Wraith?"  
"Yes. After they were healed, they decided to live here. The Wraith have never been here. You won't find safer place than this one. We use the portal very rarely, mainly when our crops don't thrive or there is an extraordinary drought. "  
"I see. Can you-" John was stopped short by whimpers from Elizabeth.

"She is coming around." Curan and John moved to stand on either side of her bed. John watched her face closely, concern marring his features. Elizabeth opened her eyes and look straight at Curan. Her eyes widened in shock and fear as she nearly leapt up from the bed. John's hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving. She turned her head and looked at him, relief flooding her face.  
"This is Curan. The leader of the village. Don't be afraid of him. He will help you." he spoke to her softly. It seemed to calm her a little and she nodded.  
"Don't worry, Dr. Weir. We will help you. However, you must know that at your stage of transformation, the healing will be extremely painful for the first few times. Do you really want to do it?" Elizabeth closed her eyes momentarily and then she nodded. "Perfect. We should start today evening. The healing will be unbearable if we prolong it." John and Elizabeth nodded simultaneously. "Come with me, I will show you your accommodation." John helped her down from the bed and he could feel her knees buckling when she stood up so he caught her around the waist and she leaned on him as they went after Curan.

He led them to a similar hut, but this one was richly furnished and decorated. It looked like a family house to John and his thoughts were confirmed by Curan moments later.  
"This was the home of one family which left few months ago. No one lives here so we use this accommodation for guests."  
"Why did they leave?" John asked curiously, wondering why someone would want to leave this peaceful and beautiful place .  
"They said they were getting bored here and needed some more adventure in their lives." Curan shook his head and shrugged. "If you excuse me, I must prepare the healing chamber." John nodded with a 'thank you' and then Curan left the hut. John sat her down and kneeled in front of her, gently touching her face.  
"Elizabeth? You okay?" She nodded but he noticed her eyelids were getting heavier. He caressed her hair and urged her to lie down. "Sleep. You need to gather your strength." Elizabeth nodded, closed her eyes and was asleep within minutes. John stripped his gear and hid it in the closet. Walking out of the hut, he noticed two men standing by the well; he approached them carefully.

"Excuse me, do you know where the healing chamber is?" They pointed him to a large structure he hadn't noticed when they first came. He thanked them and started to the direction of the structure. Once he reached it, he saw Curan leaving the building.  
"Oh Colonel, what can I do for you?" Curan smiled.  
"I wanted to talk to you. About the whole healing thing. I have some questions."  
"As you wish, Colonel. Do you want to come inside the chamber?"  
"Sure." they stepped inside and John was fascinated by the whole room. It was mainly dark but there were many candles and torches lightening the room and on the ceiling, there was a large, window-like circle that let the bright sun shine through. In the middle, there was a bed that reminded him of an infirmary bed. This one had restraints. John stopped dead in his tracks. This looked like a torture chamber, not a healing one.  
Seeing John's shocked expression and his obvious distaste, Curan explained:

"The restraints are for security purposes. Hundreds years ago, there was an accident. My ancestors were healing nearly transformed Wraith. As there were no restraints and the pain was unbearable for the human, he leapt of the bed and fed on one of the healers. There was no way back for him. He turned into the Wraith. They managed to kill him afterwards and since then these precautions are being taken."

"Thank you." John said sincerely and let out a quiet breath of relief. "Now what was it you wanted to question me about?"  
"Why can't she talk?"  
"Her vocal chords are under the same transformation as her whole body. While she can make noises such as growl and roar, she cannot form the words yet."  
"What other transformations is she going through? I know the appearance and the vocal chords, are her insides affected by this too?"  
"I'm afraid so, Colonel. Her digestive system is adjusting to the Wraith's feeding. But it does not mean there is something inside of her that shouldn not be there. Everything is normal. As normal as it could be under these circumstances." John nodded solemnly and contemplated his next question. He really didn't think he could ask him about her reproduction without actually blushing.  
"Oh and once she is healed, she can have children again. Many of the women that came here have 2 or more children now. I'm sure you want to have children?"  
"Oh no, we're not in this kind of relationship. We're very good friends." Curan really didn't need to know that John was hoping for more.  
"Please accept my humble apologies. Do you have any more questions?"  
"How long will the healing take?"  
"It usually depends on the person, but it is not more than 4 moons." John nodded, suddenly feeling very anxious. "When will you start?"  
"I am going to collect two more healers and a few of our nurses. Is Dr. Weir ready?"  
"She is sleeping right now but I think she wants to get over this as soon as possible." Curan smiled and bowed his head.  
"Very well. Please, take her here while I get the rest of my staff."  
"Okay. Thank you." John smiled softly and left the building. He arrived at their hut, finding Elizabeth still sleeping on her bed. He squatted down, touching her shoulder and shaking her gently. She woke up, startled, focusing her eyes on John.  
"They're ready to begin. Do you really want this?" John asked with uncertainty in his voice but as he saw her nodding her head vehemently, he nodded. She just wanted to be normal again. And John wanted that too. More than anything.

John led her through the courtyard, nodding at the people who greeted them with a smile as they passed them, pleased to find the inhabitants very friendly. After all, they were going to be stuck here for some time so the least they could do is make new friends and potential allies. When they arrived in the chamber, he let Elizabeth look around. Her gaze fell to the bed with restraints and her eyes widened as she inched closer to John. He could feel her fear seeping through every fibre of her body. He turned to her and made her look into his eyes.  
"Do you trust me?" he asked and she nodded immediately. He lifted up one hand and caressed her cheek softly with the back of his hand. She let out a small sigh. "Good. The restraints are there for your protection only. I will explain it to you later, okay?" She nodded again and sat down on the bed and that's when Curan and the rest of his crew arrived in the chamber, each of the nurses carrying a basin with cloths soaked in steaming dark green liquid. The healers were carrying stoneware jugs, probably filled with the same liquid.

"Dr. Weir, the nurses will now remove your clothes and wrap you up in the hot packs. You will need to drink this liquid as well." Curan spoke, filling one stoneware mug with the green liquid and handing it to her. "We will now give you privacy." John's eyes locked with Elizabeth's one last time and he nodded slightly, leaving the nurses to do their work.  
"Colonel, you must know that it's not very convenient for you to stay in the chamber during the procedure. Their significant ones want to stay and be their moral support sometimes but they usually leave in hurry during the first few minutes. It's more traumatic for the onlookers than for the healed person. I understand your concern but this is something she needs to do alone. I suggest you stay just outside." John swallowed hard and nodded. Just then one nurse peeked through the door to tell the healers that everything was prepared for the procedure.  
"Curan, c-can I see her before this?" Curan nodded and motioned for him to enter the chamber. John took in her silent fragile form, lying on the bed, her whole body wrapped up in packs like a mummy with only her head visible. He loomed above her and smiled softly, running his hand over her white hair that made her more pale in the face.

"As much as I'd like to, I can't stay with you here." She nodded sadly and looked at him anxiously. "Everything will be okay, Elizabeth. I'll be right outside, okay?" She nodded again as one of the nurses stepped beside him, fastening the restraints around her wrist and ankle and then she moved to the other side of bed, doing the same. He looked at Curan and saw his slight nod to tell him everything was indeed ready and they were about to start- Elizabeth looked at him sadly one last time before he disappeared through the door, closing it behind him.

Once outside, he leaned against the building heavily, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground. Everything was quiet, he couldn't hear the sound of the soft breeze that caressed his cheeks nor the chirping of birds or any other alien animals. He sighed heavily, dropping his face into his hands. He desperately wanted to be inside, to hold her hand, even if it was clawed. He just wanted to be there for her. Few minutes passed since he left the chamber and still no sound around him; neither from outside and inside. That worried him.

Suddenly an ear-piercing and heart-wrenching scream from inside filled the eerie silence.

**TBC**

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Comments are love. :) 


	6. Chapter 6

_Once outside, he leaned against the building heavily, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground. Everything was quiet, he couldn't hear the sound of the soft breeze that caressed his cheeks nor the chirping of birds or any other alien animals. He sighed heavily, dropping his face into his hands. He desperately wanted to be inside, to hold her hand, even if it was clawed. He just wanted to be there for her. Few minutes passed since he left the chamber and still no sound around him; neither from outside and inside. That worried him._

_Suddenly an ear-piercing and heart-wrenching scream from inside filled the eerie silence.

* * *

_

John leapt up from his sitting position, his chest tightening at the gut-wrenching sound. He felt a knot forming in his throat and suddenly he couldn't breathe and his knees began buckling. He needed to see her desperately, to make sure she was okay. The screams have somehow dissipated and once again he was left in utter silence. He was about to burst through the door when one of the nurses stepped outside, closing the door swiftly behind her. He only caught a glimpse of one small pale hand fighting against the restraints, tugging and jerking to get free.

"What the-" he started to yell at her but he paused him with a raised hand.  
"Do not worry, Colonel. Curan must have told you about the procedure being very painful at this stage." John nodded, suddenly remembering Curan's earlier words. "She is doing good at the moment. She is a fighter, she will get through this." he smiled slightly at this. Elizabeth was definitely a fighter.  
"How long?" John asked, holding his breath.  
"Not long. Five minutes at most. Now if you excuse me, I must return." John nodded, suddenly feeling slightly nauseated.

As soon as the nurse left, he sank to his knees, feeling the exhaustion in his whole body for the first time. The adrenaline rush from the past few days was slowly fading and all he wanted to do was sleep. The stress, the emotional baggage...everything worn him out completely. He wanted to scream in frustration; wanted to kill the bastard that did this to her with his bare hands, but his subconscious told him the attacker was already dead. He buried his head in his hands again and tried to keep his emotions at bay. He felt like crying. He was John Sheppard. He didn't cry. But he knew that for her he just might. He pulled himself together when he heard the door opening behind him and jumped to his feet. He saw Curan with a small pleased smile on his face.

"The first healing went extremely well. It was very painful for her but not once did she pass out. I have seen many people who passed out from the pain but I have never seen such a strong woman. She really is a fighter."  
"That she is." John nodded with a ghost of smile lingering on his lips. "Can I see her?"  
"The nurses are dressing her back into her clothes. Then you can take her back to your house. She is very exhausted now and she needs rest."  
"Thank you, Curan." John smiled genuinely for the first time in few days. He was extremely grateful for their generosity and will to heal her. It was compassion. He could see it in their eyes. Well, most of them had gone through the same so it was understandable.  
He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Curan go back to the village. Just then the door opened once again and the nurses motioned for him to come inside. He saw her figure lying motionlessly on the bed, dressed in her Atlantis uniform, slight sheen of sweat covering her pale skin. He took tentative steps towards the bed. He could see that her eyes were closed and that she began shivering. He hovered over her and brushed a lock of her white hair from her face. He looked at her closely.

She has changed, yes, but he could still recognize her soft features. He suddenly realized he missed her. He missed her beautiful green eyes, the twinkle he saw in them when he made her smile. Her smile. That's what he missed the most. He loved how her lips curved when she was teasing him or even flirting with him. He missed their daily banter. He missed how she looked at him when they were making some difficult decision. He even missed her glare and raised eyebrow when she was angry with him.  
He was brought out of his thoughts by Elizabeth's whimper. Her eyes fluttered open and focused immediately on his face. He smiled softly, caressing her hair.

"Hey." one corner of her mouth quirked slightly upwards. "How are you feeling?" She closed her eyes momentarily and her head leaned to one side, towards him. "C'mon, let's get you to bed." he helped her from the bed but her legs felt wobbly so she almost collapsed to the ground if it hadn't been for John's quick reflexes and his arms holding her up. He scooped her up in his arms and she leaned her head against his shoulder. He could see she was fighting sleep; she just wanted to hold on for a little longer. He carried her out of the chamber, noticing the sun had already set and he could feel the beginning of the night's chill creeping under his clothes. He suppressed a shiver and with a fast stride, he carried her to their temporary home. He put her down on the king sized bed in their bedroom and covered her with a quilt. All the time she was watching him through half-open eyes and when he came to sit beside her, she smiled softly. He smiled back and she could feel sleep drawing her deeper into it's embrace. The last thing she felt was the gentle squeeze of his hand on hers.

As soon as John made sure Elizabeth was fast asleep, he got up and stretched, the bones in his spine cracking with each move. He groaned quietly in satisfaction, careful about waking up Elizabeth. He went back to the kitchen/dining room and looked around the house. The interior was rather modern compared to the exterior and it surprised him. The walls of the kitchen were dark brown and as his eyes roamed around the rich decorations, he noticed a fireplace. Delighted, he found some matches and took the wood lying beside the fireplace and lit it up, causing a soft glow and warmth spread through the whole room. He surveyed the kitchen, taking in the simple cabinets, a cooking stove, a few utensils and a kitchen sink. He sighed contently as he sat down onto a comfortable pillowed chair at the dining table and went through the day's events again in his head. He should let everyone in Atlantis know that they were safe and that Elizabeth was healing. Atlantis. He didn't think about Atlantis and its inhabitants since they left. For what he knew, the city could be blown up by now. He smiled at that thought but then again, he trusted Rodney more than he let on. He'd let them know tomorrow what was happening. Now he needed a quick shower and a bite to eat before he crawled to bed. He went to search for a bathroom and was pleased to find a nice, clean and big bathroom with a quite big bathtub with shower head, the toilet and the bathroom sink with a mirror above it. John thought that the village itself was in disguise. From the outside view, it was a simple farmers' village but from the inside, one could see how advanced they really were. He just hoped that they weren't keeping any secrets from them like the Genii. But if the Ancients trusted them, he definitely could too.

Suddenly a knock on the front door brought him out of his musings. He went to open them and then he stood face to face with Curan and one of the nurses. John gulped and his eyes widened.  
"Is there a problem?" he asked. Curan and the nurse smiled at him.  
"No, everything is fine, Colonel. You do not need to worry. We only brought you some spare clothes and dinner. We figured you must be hungry by now and that you do not have the necessary groceries to make your own. We will supply you tomorrow if that is okay."  
"That's perfect, thank you." John took the small stack of clothes from Curan while the nurse put the plates down on the table.  
"Goodnight, Colonel. We will see you both tomorrow."  
"Thank you. Goodnight." With one last smile he shut the door behind them. He eyed the two deliciously-looking plates but decided to take a bath first. Strolling into the bathroom, he filed the tub with warm water. He undressed and sank into the tub with a moan, the warm water relaxing his aching muscles. After cleaning himself up, he wrapped the towel around his hips and walked to the kitchen. He didn't notice the person currently sitting at the table, eating from one of the plates until she turned her head in surprise and a slow smile spread across her face as she looked him up and down. He felt a blush rising in his cheeks and he could see she was stifling a laugh. He pointed his thumb to the direction of the bathroom and with fast and long steps he was inside and closed the door behind him. He leaned above the sink and looked into the mirror. He chuckled quietly as he got dressed into his own clothes and then walked back to the kitchen, finding highly amused Elizabeth. He sat across the table with a grin on his face which she returned just as much. He's never seen her in such a happy mood during the past few days and he swore he could see her yellow eyes twinkling with amusement. He grabbed the other plate and started eating, pleased to find that Elizabeth warmed the meal on the stove beforehand. He saw her turn her back to him but he caught her by her arm.  
"You don't have to hide from me. It's okay." She looked at him warily but then faced him again and continued eating. He was slowly getting used to her appearance so he didn't even flinched when he saw her teeth or her eyes. The pair continued eating in silence until John spoke up.

"Elizabeth?" She looked up from her meal with a curious expression. He didn't know how to approach the subject so he stuttered, trying to find the right words. "Was...was it...um...painful?" Her gaze lowered to the plate as she nodded. "I'm sorry." Her head snapped up and she looked at him in confusion, her brows furrowed. She looked like she wanted to say something and really, John would be grateful for any word. "We really should ask them for a paper or something." He grinned goofily and was surprised to hear her chuckle. They both needed to relax, to get rid of the tension from the past days. They were worn out and all they needed was a good night's sleep.

Shaking his head to drive away the drowsiness, he looked over the table at Elizabeth, who had already finished her meal and was looking like she'd fall asleep any minute. He got up, yawning, touching her arm slightly, and helped her get up. The dishes could wait. Together they went into the bedroom and as soon as they got into the bed, they fell asleep.

The small ray of sunlight shone through the window, directly into John's face. He groaned and attempted to roll over but something was preventing him from moving. He opened his eyes to look what that was but then shut them immediately as the light blinded him momentarily. He groaned and with a half-opened eye he looked beside him at the sleeping form of Elizabeth, who didn't even stir. Opening both of his eyes fully and smiling softly, he disentangled their legs and sat at the edge of the bed. He stretched, lifting his arms high up into the air, sighing contently. He had never slept better in his life. He got up, rubbed his eyes and with one last look at Elizabeth, he left the bedroom. On his way to the bathroom, he picked up the clothes Curan gave him last night and surveyed the white button down shirt and light brown pants. He was about to continue on his way to the bathroom, when a soft knock on the door stopped him in his tracks.

He opened the door and was once again face to face with Curan, who was smiling radiantly. These peoples' enthusiasm was contagious and John found himself grinning in response.

"Good day, Colonel." "Good morning, Curan."  
"I see you were sleeping late. It is almost midday." Curan's eyes twinkled with amusement. John was taken aback.  
"What?"  
"We knew you both needed sleep so we did not want to wake you. You and Dr. Weir will need to gather your strength for the time of healing."  
"Oh yeah. Talking about healing, when will the next healing take place?"  
"I see that Dr. Weir hasn't woken yet. We want to proceed with the healing in an hour if that is possible."  
"Okay, I'll wake her. Listen, I want to be there, in the chamber this time."  
"Colonel..."  
"I know, I know. But I've seen many things in my life, I've seen many men being tortured and I have been tortured a few times myself. I think this is something I can handle." Curan seemed to be surprised by John's revelation but didn't comment on it and only nodded his head.  
"As you wish, Colonel. Oh, and before I forget, I brought you some midday dinner."  
"Thank you, Curan." he took the plates from Curan. "We'll see you in an hour." Curan nodded and walked away as John shut the door behind him.

Setting both plates down on the table, he grabbed the clothes again and went to change and freshen up to the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later with a grumbling stomach, eyeing the plates with hunger. But first he needed to take care of something. Opening the door quietly, he peeked inside the bedroom, finding Elizabeth sprawled on her stomach on top of the sheets. Under different circumstances...He mentally slapped himself at his train of thought. He really shouldn't be thinking about her like that right now. He kneeled next to the bed and placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking it gently.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth..." She wriggled slightly and groaned, eventually turning to lay on her back with her arm draped over her eyes. John chuckled at the sight. Even though she was looking more like a Wraith now, inside she was still human. He called her name once again and looked at her shocked when she growled at him.  
"Dr. Weir, did you just growl at me?" he watched her face closely and grinned when he saw her mouth quirking upwards. It was good to see her like this. Elizabeth removed her arm from her face and looked at him sleepily. "Hey sleepyhead. It's almost noon." He announced and her eyes widened. She sat up straight and blinked several times. Her eyes scanned his clothing and she looked at him questioningly. John handed her her clothes. "Curan brought them yesterday. Get dressed, there's a deliciously-looking lunch waiting for you." She smiled at him as he stood up and left, closing the door behind him.

Sitting at the dining table, he started eating. He heard the door opening and looked up and froze, his fork stuck in the way to his mouth. He couldn't find the right word that could describe her at the moment. He never thought he would associate the word 'beautiful' with a Wraith but that's what she was. Her dress reminded him of the people he encountered during his time in the time dilation field, when he thought he'd never see her again. But there she was, standing in front of him, looking rather self-conscious. He smiled at her and she repeated the gesture before disappearing into the bathroom. She returned few minutes later, joining him at the table.

"The next healing is in an hour. You sure you're up for this?" She nodded and resumed eating. "I'm going to be there this time." Her head snapped up and she shook her head vehemently. "I'm sorry but you're not going to win this one." Elizabeth pleaded him with her eyes but he refused to give in. Realizing this was his final decision, Elizabeth looked at him with sad eyes. He felt guilty but he desperately wanted to be there for her, to take away her pain.

The hour passed quickly and then there was a knock on the door, signalling Curan's presence. John reached the door handle first, pulling the door wide open.  
"Good day, Colonel, Dr. Weir." Curan smiled as John greeted him back and Elizabeth nodded with a slight smile.  
"Are you ready?" John looked at her and realized she was stubbornly refusing to meet his eyes. She nodded and Curan smiled once again, "Very well. Please, follow me." He took the lead and the pair went right behind him. Their small journey was spent in silence and when they reached the chamber, the nurses who stood outside mentioned to Elizabeth to come inside while the men were left outside. Soon enough they were clear to enter. John took tentative steps and Curan pointed him to the place where he could stand. John obliged and moved to the dark corner of the room, observing quietly the room, the people and the still form of Elizabeth. His eyes fell on the restraints and he shivered involuntarily, thinking about the story Curan told him earlier. If the restraints weren't there...John couldn't bring himself to finish that thought. His subconscious told him he would lose her. Probably forever.

He watched as the healers, 4 tall men, including Curan, gathered around the bed and the nurses taking a step back. The healing ritual started. It wasn't even 5 minutes since the start when he heard a scream. Several pairs of eyes turned to him and he suddenly realized that the scream had come from his own mouth.

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**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to all who reviewed so far! I'd like to see more reviews because when I look at the number of hits (3305 oO), the number of reviews is really small compared to this. So please, review. It doesn't matter what you write. Good or bad, I don't care. I'm a feedback junkie. :) Thank you!**

**Also, this fic will have 9 chapters, so 2 more chapters to go. Yay or nay? ;) **

**AN:** Italics means Elizabeth's 'speech'.

_Previously on Stargate Atlantis:  
He watched as the healers, 4 tall men, including Curan, gathered around the bed and the nurses taking a step back. The healing ritual started. It wasn't even 5 minutes since the start when he heard a scream. Several pairs of eyes turned to him and he suddenly realized that the scream had come from his own mouth._

* * *

Inwardly, John started to panic. He couldn't stand there and watch anymore. He needed air. Much of it preferably. He sprinted towards the door, not having the strength to look back. He shut the door quickly behind him and sagged against it, breathing heavily. He couldn't shake the picture from his mind's eye. Never ever had he seen something like this. Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him and he quickly ran around the corner of the building, falling onto his knees, retching. Once assured there was nothing left in him, he moved back to the front door, sitting down and wiping his mouth with a tissue. To his surprise, the door opened and Curan stepped outside with a small stoneware jug. He crouched next to John, offering him the jug.

"Water." he explained and John took it and downed the water in one go greedily.  
"What the-" John started but Curan stopped him short.  
"I warned you, Colonel. It looks worse than it is. It is not as traumatic for her as for you. Do not worry."  
"I've never seen anything like this." John closed his eyes momentarily, trying to get rid of the picture of Elizabeth shaking violently, trashing, jerking, as if having a seizure, tugging at the restraints trying to get free. He saw many types of torture but this was nothing like that. He couldn't describe it. His mind provided one scene from an old horror movie he once saw on college. He couldn't remember what the movie was about but that particular scene fried itself into his brain and never left - a young naked woman lying on her back, while a dark figure hovered above her, murmuring something in a foreign language, watching the young woman spasm. Exorcism.

John shook himself out of his reverie and looked at Curan. "Why aren't you inside?"  
"Dr. Weir is concerned about your welfare. She sent me to check up on you." John nodded.  
"Tell her I'm fine. I'll contact our people and tell them we're safe and request some supplies."  
"Very well." Curan nodded with a small smile gracing his lips and returned to the chamber.

John took a deep shuddery breath, shook his head to clear his thoughts and headed to the Gate. Dialling the familiar sequence, he activated his radio.  
"Atlantis, this is Sheppard. Come in."  
"Colonel!" he heard the surprised exclaim from the other side.  
"Rodney! Good to hear Atlantis is still standing." He couldn't resist teasing the scientist.  
"Haha, funny. Where are you? Is Elizabeth okay?"  
"We're on the planet with the healers."  
"And?"  
"And what?"  
"Did they heal Elizabeth?"  
"Yes, they are healing her Rodney. It will take some time though."  
"How much longer?"  
"I don't know. A few months."  
"Months!" Rodney squeaked out. "What are they healing her with?"  
"Some plants. Listen-"  
"And they really can de-wrathify her?" Rodney asked somewhat unconvinced.  
"Yeah."  
"Wow! Carson will have a field day when he-"  
"Rodney, as much as I'd like to chat with you, we need some supplies. Send some data pad too so I can communicate with her."  
"Alright. I will get into it right away."  
"Oh and Rodney?"  
"Yes?"  
"No people." He sensed that Elizabeth wouldn't be comfortable in the presence of people who knew her in this state.  
"But I-" John let out and exasperated sigh.  
"Rodney!"  
"Okay, okay. Got it."  
"Thanks, Rodney." John turned off his radio and the Gate shut down. The supplies arrived a little bit later, then John carried them to their hut and rummaged through the contents. One of the boxes was a medical kit and he searched for something to kill his headache. He nearly had a heart attack when he spotted two wrappings with 'Durex' all over them. He shook his head. What was Rodney thinking? Were his feelings so obvious? Then he realized it may have not been Rodney and that the contents were in the standard medical kit all the time. He chuckled quietly and closed the box. Just then there was a knock on the door and he went to answer it.

He revealed Curan and two nurses, who were trying hard to keep Elizabeth standing.  
"Colonel." Curan acknowledged him.  
"What's wrong?"  
"You do not need to worry, Colonel. Dr. Weir is merely exhausted. She needs to eat and sleep." Both of them watched as the nurses sat Elizabeth at the table.  
"Thank you, Curan. And I want to apologize for earlier." Curan smiled and reassured him that there was no need to apologize. He bid him good evening and with both nurses, he left.

John walked over to Elizabeth and caressed her hair gently.  
"Elizabeth?" she looked up at him, sleepy expression on her face. "Look what Rodney had sent!" He reached for the data pad lying on the table and showed it to her. She smiled, almost beamed at him. "He also sent some food and spare clothes. I'm going to make us some dinner, okay?" Elizabeth nodded and fiddled with the data pad, while John heated up their meal. It was finished in a few minutes and he set both plates on the table.

_'Thank you.'_ he read on the display of the pad. He smiled at her.

"You're welcome." They ate in silence until Elizabeth showed him the pad again.

_'Are you okay?'_

"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied and avoided her eyes, playing with his meal.

_'You screamed.'_ John closed his eyes briefly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I...I just...I wasn't prepared for this. But I guess I deserved it. Both you and Curan warned me. I thought I've been through a lot of things but now I know that if it's the person you are close to, it's much worse." He met her eyes again and he saw she was looking at him with something in her eyes that he couldn't describe.

Longing?

He berated himself inwardly for thinking such inappropriate thoughts about his boss and friend. He saw her writing something on the pad and she showed it to him a few seconds later.

_'I'll go take a bath and then go to bed. I'm drained.'_

John just nodded, watching her disappear into the bathroom. He got up from his chair and moved to the sink, washing the dishes. Yawning, he stepped into the bedroom, rolling his head around his shoulders. Sitting on the edge of bed, he took his boots off and streched on the comfortable mattress, his back resting against the headboard, his eyes closing. He opened them again a few minutes later when he heard Elizabeth step into the room and felt her sit on the bed. She laid down next to him and fiddled with the pad.

_'Tell me something.'_  
"Like what?"  
_'I don't know. A story. Something about your life. A fairytale. I don't care. I just need something to help me sleep.'_

John chuckled and was pleased to find her cuddling to his side. He quickly made up a fairytale about mighty Queens and Kings of the City of Ancestors and he heard her chuckling quietly when he began. Halfway through his fairytale, he noticed Elizabeth's breathing pattern had changed, so he once called her name softly and when he was assured she was sleeping, he took the pad from her hands, set it onto the bedside table and laid down beside her, sleep engulfing him almost immediately. They were still in their casual clothes but neither of them cared.

**FEW DAYS LATER**

The healing procedures were being carried out in longer intervals now, only three times a week instead of every day. Curan told them that the healing should now be quick with the results showing very soon and wanted to know about every change Elizabeth was going through.

John and Elizabeth got used to falling asleep next to each other and then waking up cuddled together. John relished the moments in the morning when he could watch Elizabeth sleep shortly before she woke up. Today, Elizabeth was awake before him. She watched him stir, blinking a few times before turning his head to her direction. He smiled at her sleepily and she smiled back at him before he turned his head to the other direction, streching. His head snapped back in such a quick manner that she almost jumped. He stared at her with wide eyes and she started to feel very scared. Then he smiled...no, grinned widely and whispered.

"Your eyes." Elizabeth looked at him in bewilderment and confusion, so he quickly added. "They're green again."

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

Previously on Stargate Atlantis:  
_She watched him stir, blinking a few times before turning his head to her direction. He smiled at her sleepily and she smiled back at him before he turned his head to the other direction, streching. His head snapped back in such a quick manner that she almost jumped. He stared at her with wide eyes and she started to feel very scared. Then he smiled...no, grinned widely and whispered._

_"Your eyes." Elizabeth looked at him in bewilderment and confusion, so he quickly added. "They're green again."_

* * *

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock and seconds later John was pleased to find her smiling at him. He stared into her eyes for a long moment. They were as beautiful as he remembered. He could get easily lost in her big green orbs and he would have if she didn't hug him unexpectedly. It caught him off guard as well as the hug they shared after he was beamed down from Daedalus back to Atlantis but he knew she needed human touch. Nevertheless, he let himself get lost in her embrace, closing his eyes briefly and tightening his hold on her. They stayed entangled in their embrace for a few more minutes before the position they were in became very uncomfortable. Elizabeth withdrew from his arms and sat up, stretching lightly, before getting up and heading to the kitchen. John stayed in bed longer, grinning into the pillow. He was eternally grateful that these people agreed to help them and he was happy to see Elizabeth coming back to her beautiful self, slowly but surely. He lifted his head from the pillow at the sound of a thunder and looked outside the window. It was raining just lightly but by the color of the clouds, that was about to change. He wanted nothing more than stay in bed all day. He was glad that today was no healing, so he could spend more time with Elizabeth. Burying his head in the pillow one last time, he got up and wandered into the kitchen, scratching the back of his head, making his hair more tousled in the process. 

Looking around the kitchen, his gaze fell upon Elizabeth who was preparing their breakfast. They were taking turns in preparing everyday meals and John found himself enjoying the little comfortable domesticity between them. He grinned when she looked up and smiled at him, before he disappeared into the bathroom. Later, they were sitting at the table, eating their breakfast in silence, her datapad lying on the table between them, when they heard a soft knock on the door. John jumped from his seat and opened the door, revealing Curan under what looked like an umbrella.

"Curan, hi. What brings you here in such weather?" He let the man step inside.  
"Hello, Colonel Sheppard. I only wanted to know if everything is alright."  
"Everything's great. Awesome in fact. Lizbeth? Could you come over here for a second?" The two men watched Elizabeth as she stood up and went towards them, stopping right beside John with a smile on her face. Curan took one small step towards her and looked in her eyes. He smiled triumphantly.

"That is excellent! It seems the healing is much quicker than we expected! With this speed I can safely say that you will be able to return home in 2 months. If you excuse me, I'm going to announce the good news to the others. Good day, Doctor, Colonel." Curan bowed his head, smiling, and left. John turned to Elizabeth and grinned at her widely. They returned to the table to finish off their breakfast.

"Do you have Chess on that?" John pointed to the datapad. She nodded and he grinned, starting a new game. Nothing could ruin their day, not even the weather.

**3 WEEKS LATER**

Every morning for the past few weeks, John woke up with a smile on his face, always noticing the new light changes Elizabeth went through each night. Her hair lost the ugly white color and were once again brown, if slightly longer and curled like they were before. Then there was her face. The gill-like cheeks were gone after one week and now her nose was changing back to her normal small one. However, she couldn't speak yet, her Wraith palm was still there even though the claws almost disappeared, her teeth were still very Wraith-like and her skin still bore the ugly green-white tint.

John stirred when he heard someone calling his name quietly, with a hint of strain. He buried his head into the pillow to make the sound go away.

"John? John! Wake up, sleepyhead." John turned onto his stomach, covering his ears with his hands. Groaning, he responded to the voice.  
"This is so unfair. What time it is?" He squinted against the bright light that was coming out of the window and saw a sitting figure of Elizabeth on the bed next to him.  
"7am." the voice was there again. He looked at Elizabeth. Wait. This was weird. Her mouth was moving. And she was smiling. Smiling in a such way that it bared her teeth. Wait. Her white teeth. No Wraith-like teeth anymore. He bolted up in a sitting position and looked at her in shock.   
"Elizabeth?"  
"Yes?" she responded, a highly amused grin on her face. John blinked several times, then shook his head before pinching himself on his forearm, yelping at the small pain he inflicted. "What are you doing, John?" He looked back up at her, the very familiar raise of her eyebrow present on her face, the overall look was completed with her head cocked to one side and the grin still plastered firmly on her face.  
"I'm...I'm trying to see if this is all a dream." he still looked dumbfounded at her.  
"It isn't." she beamed at him, the strain in her voice still evident.  
"When did this happen?"  
"Yesterday, when me and some of the other villagers were picking up the harvest. I didn't want to tell you then because I couldn't talk properly and my voice was too weak. I wanted to wait and surprise you."  
"That's fantastic." John was so flabbergasted that he couldn't take his eyes off her. He found himself wrapping his arms tightly around her midriff and her returning the hug just as much. They parted reluctantly after a short while. "I mean...wow." Elizabeth let out a quiet chuckle. He couldn't believe how fast this was going. In no time they were going to be back in Atlantis and back to the routine of their normal lives.

John did a double take. Normal lives. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to the way they had been before. He could feel they got closer during their little adventure and he didn't want to lose it. He would miss the domestic familiarity that developed between them and he would surely miss their bed sharing. He knew he shouldn't be thinking this but he had those feelings even before the incident. He just wasn't sure how to describe them. He liked her. Liked her a lot. And wanted to spend more time with her and get to know everything about her. What food she liked, what was her favorite movie and music and ice-cream flavor and all that stuff. He knew he was acting like a teenager with a crush. But he couldn't help himself. His feelings scared him greatly.

Seeing him sober up a little, Elizabeth touched his arm lightly to get his attention.

"John? You okay?" John looked up and before his mask fell back on, Elizabeth could clearly see the sadness in his eyes. She couldn't understand what he was so sad about. It hurt to know he was sad about something and it was frustrating not to know what was going on.  
"I'm fine." he shrugged her hand off. "I'm gonna make some breakfast." He stood up and left. Elizabeth closed her eyes momentarily and let her hand fall back down to her side. She was frustrated. Frustrated and confused. What had she done that John acted like that? Suddenly it dawned on her. He wouldn't meet her eyes. He found her repulsive...of what she had become. He would never look at her like at a woman again. She would always be a Wraith for him...in his eyes, his memories. Elizabeth slumped on the bed and wanted to cry. But the tears didn't come, as much as she wanted them to. Sighing, she got up and without any glance at John, she went straight to the bathroom.

When John saw her hurry to the bathroom without one look at him, he knew he screwed up. Badly. He shouldn't have pushed her away, shouldn't have been so hard at her. He didn't want to think what she was thinking about him at this very moment. He wanted to bang his head against the wall several times but that's when Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom and sat down on the table. The rest of the day was spent in utter silence and it drove both of them crazy but both of them too stubborn to start a conversation. He went to help the farmers chop some wood and she grouped with the rest of the female population.

That night they were lying on the bed as far away from each other as possible, their backs facing. For John sleep didn't come easily as he was thinking about everything and anything, staring into the darkness. On the other side, Elizabeth was shedding quiet tears.

Their relationship in the next week improved a little, they were speaking to each other but not much. Elizabeth also lacked physical contact with John, she craved his touch, even a brief one. John wasn't coping too well either and berated himself for being such an idiot.

So when he woke up one morning after few weeks, he was greeted by her face...without any hints of Wraith appearance. That's when he knew what he should do. In the evening, he prepared the dinner, even lit up the fireplace and a few candles and waited for Elizabeth to come back from the healing. These last healings didn't make her as tired as the first ones and he took an advantage of that. When she came home, she stopped in the doorframe, her eyes wide as she surveyed the dining room. Her gaze then settled on John who stood nervously next to the table, biting his lower lip. Whatever it was he was going to say, Elizabeth found herself forgiving him already. She smiled at him and asked him:

"John? What's going on?" she walked over to the table. "I...ah. I just wanted to apologize. I've been acting like a jerk and I'm sorry." He shuffled closer to her.  
"Care to explain me what is going on? I thought I was repulsive to you and I..." She looked deep into his eyes.  
"What? No! It's not about you, it's me! And I don't find you repulsive, where did you get that from?" He was shocked. What she had thought about him? Or even more so, about herself? He took her hand, still a little bit green-white and with a hint of the Wraith slit on her palm, and drew her into a hug. Her arms went automatically around his torso and she sighed.  
"You should have told me." her voice softened as she buried her head in his shoulder.  
"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth."  
"Maybe I can help."  
"No. No, you can't. This is something I need to figure out myself." With a resigned sigh, she withdrew from his embrace to look at him. She studied him for a moment but then nodded and smiled softly.  
"Okay." John smiled at her and motioned to the table. They sat down and began eating. They talked almost until midnight when they decided to go to bed. They laid down, this time not so far from each other. John still could see that the green-white tint wasn't completely gone from her skin but she looked completely normal apart from that. It wouldn't be long till they can go home.

They talked a little bit more, with John propping himself up on one elbow and Elizabeth lying on her back. He couldn't help but stare at her when she laughed at something he said which wasn't that funny. He was so beautiful. He needed to know what she felt towards him or he'd go crazy. She noticed him looking at her intently and her laughter died out, leaving only a ghost of a smile lingering on her lips. She was transfixed by his gaze and she could feel butterflies in her stomach at the intensity of his feelings that shone through. Her breath hitched in her throat as she waited for...she didn't even know what she was waiting for. His lips suddenly felt very dry so he licked them briefly and watched as she shifted her gaze onto his mouth. His gaze fell on hers and he knew that he was lost. He needed to taste her. Just one more time.

Lowering his head slowly, he gave her some time to back off but not enough. One second later their lips melded in a short, slow and gentle kiss. They parted and he noticed that Elizabeth had trouble maintaining eye-contact with him.

"I-I-I'm sorry, John. I can't." She whispered and knew that she probably broke his heart. Before she could explain anything, John got up and left the bedroom. "John!" she called after him but then she heard the front door opening and closing.

John fled.

* * *

**TBC**  



	9. Chapter 9

A/N: The name of the plant 'anemonet' is actually taken from the plant 'anemone'. I made all the symptoms up, but let's say the alien version is different from the Earth one. g

* * *

Previously on Stargate Atlantis:  
_Lowering his head slowly, he gave her some time to back off but not enough. One second later their lips melded in a short, slow and gentle kiss. They parted and he noticed that Elizabeth had trouble maintaining eye-contact with him._

"I-I-I'm sorry, John. I can't." She whispered and knew that she probably broke his heart. Before she could explain anything, John got up and left the bedroom. "John!" she called after him but then she heard the front door opening and closing.

John fled.

* * *

John didn't know where he was going but he didn't care. It was pitch dark all around him and now he regretted he didn't bring a flashlight with him. He couldn't. He had to leave quickly, had to be as far away from her as possible. He shouldn't have been that foolish and act on his feelings. He knew that with this small kiss that crashed down his mental wall, therefore flooding him with feelings he wanted so badly to forget, he destroyed their friendship. He continued on his way, away from the village and into the dark forest, not caring where he'd end. His guts had told him that it was right to kiss her and the look in her eyes told him she felt the same. But boy, was he wrong. He knew he hadn't given her the slightest opportunity to explain but he didn't need her explanations. Her actions spoke louder than the words. He really wanted to bang his head hard against something solid. How could he have been so stupid? She was his boss, dammit! They had to work together each single day and there he went and threw it all out of the window.

When John left in such a hurry, Elizabeth crawled out of bed and went after him. When she got to the door and looked around the dark village, she couldn't see him anywhere. He was too fast. She sagged against the doorframe and listened to the sounds of the night. The planet was at the peak of a very hot summer season, yet she found herself shivering in the warm night air. Closing her eyes, she recalled the kiss that took place mere minutes ago. She had been surprised because she always thought he wasn't very interested in her beyond friendship, yet she craved for more. She hadn't pushed him away because she hadn't wanted him nor because it wasn't very appropriate in their professional relationship. She had her reasons and she needed to tell him before he would go and make wrong assumptions. Which he probably already made. Rubbing her hands along her upper arms and sighing, she went back to the hut. He would come back. He had to. She only hoped he wouldn't get lost.

Meanwhile, John found a nice clearing, stretched on a log and stared at the dark sky, dusted over by many sparkling stars and two glowing moons. He sighed and closed his eyes, his memories taking him back in time from his first kiss with Elizabeth and further. He hoped that she would feel the same but deep down he knew that she was way out of his league. When he was a teenager, he was quite shy. He never had a real girlfriend until he was 17. Their relationship lasted three years. He was convinced that she was the one. But when he asked her to marry him, she laughed in his face, telling him she was far too young for a marriage. He was crushed. He swore to never let a woman get so close to him anymore. Revealing his true himself was dangerous, he was vulnerable and insecure in his core and he couldn't bear being hurt like that ever again. So he had done the only thing he could. He pushed his feelings to the back of his mind and took up on a pilot's career in the Air Force. From then his relationships were fleeting, he never stayed in one place for too long to really get to know the woman. But when he met Elizabeth, he knew he was in for a ride. Opening his eyes again, he sighed and thought about her. What was she doing now? Was she worried sick or was she looking out there for him? The last thought made him jump to his feet and ran all the way back to the hut, never noticing the stinging feeling in his left calf. He sighed in relief when he saw her lying on their bed, her back facing him. He called her name once but she didn't respond. He was glad that she was sleeping already because he couldn't bear to talk to her right now. His emotions were too raw and he would have probably ended up saying something in anger he'd regret later.

He walked quietly to Elizabeth's side of the bed. Kneeling down, he studied her face. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep, no sign of distress on her face. Carefully he reached out with one hand and caressed her cheek ever so softly. She was beautiful. Withdrawing his finger from her cheek, he smiled and laid down on the opposite side of bed and fell asleep almost immediately so he completely missed Elizabeth opening her eyes, glazed over by tears.

**Next morning**

When Elizabeth woke up the next morning, she was disappointed to find the other side of the bed empty, only the warm spot John left behind. She stretched and looked outside the window. The sun was shining brightly, announcing the arrival of a new hot summer day. It was too hot during the day, so they all refrained from moving too much. Still it didn't help and she could see men around the village losing their shirts. Elizabeth grinned to herself. And what a nice display it was!

Scrambling out of the bed, she stretched, lifting her arms high above her head. Suddenly her stomach churned and she giggled quietly to herself. She was really starved and felt her saliva run when she smelled the air that came from the kitchen. 'Mmmm, bacon.' she thought as she wandered to the kitchen, freezing at the sight of John preparing breakfast...without his t-shirt. True, the weather was so hot that she wanted nothing but take her clothes off herself, but she didn't think he'd do this in front of her, not after that incident from last night. She cleared her throat.

"Good morning." She looked at his naked back hopefully, wanting him to turn around and face her. Instead, all she got was a mumbled 'morning'. She watched as the muscles on his back tightened and tensed but still he didn't turn around. With one last look at his back, she went to the bathroom. Leaning against the basin, she studied herself in the mirror. The Wraith features already disappeared from her face but she knew that there were parts on her body that still bore the ugly white tint. She needed to tell him. She needed to tell him now or she would never get the courage to do it later. Brushing her teeth, she marvelled at how amazing it felt to realize her teeth were transformed back, and mostly her own eyes, now staring back at her from the mirror. Having finished her morning routine, she moved to the door, took a deep breath and walked out. John was still turned with his back to her, still preparing breakfast. She briefly wondered what was taking him so long but she realized that he might have not wanted to face her yet. She mustered up as much courage as she could and walked over to John, standing a few feet just behind him.

"John?" she started hesitantly.  
"What?" he mumbled absent-mindedly, still engrossed in preparing their meal. Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly and before she knew it, her hand landed on his naked shoulder, so strong and firm but oh so soft. She could feel and see him tense; still he didn't turn around but finally stopped what he was doing.  
"I-I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn't want...-" She was stopped short.  
"You didn't want what? Didn't want me to kiss you? Then you should have said or done something earlier." The fact that he spoke slowly and quietly while being turned from her made it all the worse for her. She felt like a complete idiot. Her hand hadn't left his shoulder once and he didn't even shrug it off.  
"No. That's not it. It's not like I didn't..." she was interrupted by John again, who began to chop some vegetables. Elizabeth was surprised by his behavior. She thought he'd be angry and yelling at her. This total opposite was unnerving her more than she wanted to admit.  
"No? Then why, Elizabeth? Why don't you explain it to me because I still don't understand." She contemplated her answer and for a moment the only sound they could hear was John's chopping and the hissing sound of the bacon frying on the stove. Her hand moved in a feather-like caress over his shoulders, making him shiver involuntarily. When she started to speak, he stopped chopping.  
"I can't look at myself without being constantly reminded of what I became. I feel betrayed and ashamed, John. Betrayed by my own body and ashamed of my own body. I can't even look at myself in the mirror, afraid that I'll see the creature staring back at me. And I can't even imagine what you see when you look at me. I can't let you get too close to me until I come to terms with it. I'm so sorry, the last thing I wanted to do was to ruin our relationship." Her hand dropped back to her side and she hung her head, closing her eyes against the tears that were fighting to get free. She felt him move but didn't look up until one of his fingers brushed tentatively across her cheek and under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. And when she did, she wanted nothing more than to drown in these green orbs.

"What do I see when I look at you?" he said quietly, studying her face intently until she blushed and tried to hide her face from him but he didn't let her. His finger remained under her chin. "I see a very beautiful woman." Elizabeth took in a deep shuddery breath, never taking her eyes off his face. He closed the small gap between them and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead lightly. Her arms instinctively went low around his waist, her long delicate fingers caressing shakily the hollow of his spine. "Just promise me you won't ever hold back from me. You know you can tell me anything." She nodded into his shoulder and he sighed contently, tightening his hold on her.  
"Mnfllshkmphpfgg." he heard her mumble into his shoulder and smiled.  
"What?" She released him from her arms much to his disappointment and replied:  
"Something's burning." John's eyes widened and he spun around, cursing.  
"Crap!" Elizabeth giggled behind him and he turned showing her the black bacon.  
"Glad you find this funny. That was our breakfast." He said with a straight face and a serious tone but she could see the corner of his mouth quirking upwards. He was trying hard not to laugh. She grinned at him and snatched 4 slices of bread from behind him.  
"We'll just have to make do with these." They fixed themselves sandwiches and were eating in no time. Elizabeth watched John across the table as he nibbled on his sandwich.  
"John?" he looked up from his meal. "You alright?"  
"Yeah. Just...I guess I'm not that hungry." he stood up, swaying slightly. Elizabeth shot up quickly from her seat and grabbed his arm to stop him from collapsing entirely. Her other arm supported him around his waist.  
"John? John! What's wrong? C'mon John, talk to me!" He swayed a little bit more and Elizabeth could see his pale face. He was white as a sheet, sweat breaking on his whole body. She reached up with one hand and felt his forehead. He was burning up. Quickly, she manoeuvred them towards the bedroom and once they were there, she carefully laid him on top of the bed. "Dammit, John! What's wrong with you?" she mumbled to herself as she retrieved some damp cloths from the bathroom.  
"Hot, it's so hot..." Elizabeth sat on the bed beside him, carefully running the cloth over his face, wiping his sweat off and cooling his overheated skin.  
"I know. You have a fever. Just lie still and try to relax, okay? I'm going to get Curan." She consoled him quietly, removing the cloth with shaking hands, and stood up, opening the window lightly.  
"'Liz'beth?" he slurred, catching her attention once again. She turned and saw him shaking slightly. "I'm so cold." She exhaled slowly, calming herself, and closed the window, then ran out of the room to get Curan.

She ran across the small courtyard, not wasting time to greet the passer-by's. She knocked loudly at Curan's door. They opened immediately and revealed wide-eyed Curan.  
"Dr. Weir, what is wrong? Are you okay?"  
"Yes, I'm fine. It's John, he's having a high fever and I don't know..."  
"Say no more, I will take a look at him." Together they ran back to the hut and to the bedroom. Curan and Elizabeth sat on either side of the bed and examined John, who started sweating once again, even though now asleep. Curan felt his forehead.  
"Very high fever, indeed. What did he eat?"  
"I ate the same thing as him. It was our food from home." Curan nodded and checked John's pulse.  
"Was he anywhere outside the village in the past few days?"  
"No, I don't think so. Wait, he could have been outside the village yesterday night."  
"Were you with him?"  
"No...w-we had a fight and I think he just wanted to clear his head." Elizabeth answered uneasily.  
"I see. Well, there could be only one thing that would make him ill. Can you please help me uncover his legs?" Together they rolled up John's light trousers up to his knees and checked his calves.  
"Curan, I think I found something." She showed him a large, red swollen place on John's left calf. Curan examined it closely and then nodded his head.  
"Yes, this is exactly what I thought. He's been poisoned."  
"Poisoned? Can you help him?" Elizabeth couldn't keep the panic from her voice.  
"Yes, do not worry, I can help him. He has probably been just to the outskirts of the forest. There is a highly poisonous plant, we call it 'anemonet'. Just the simplest touch makes the person ill, it is nothing serious though, but consummation causes immediate death." Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath. "We usually treat it with ointment and plenty of liquids. He is sweating profusely and that makes him quickly dehydrated. You will need to keep an eye on him the first night. He should be awoken a few times during the night to drink. If you excuse me, I will prepare the ointment." Elizabeth nodded and was left by John's side. He stirred and mumbled:  
"'Lizabeth?" She removed the hair that stuck to his forehead and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a damp cloth. He struggled to keep his eyes open but he finally succeeded.  
"Shh, it's okay. Here, drink this." Lifting his head gently, she brought a glass with water to his lips.  
"What's wrong with me?" he rasped and took a sip.  
"You've been poisoned." His head fell on the pillow again.  
"Poisoned? I didn't know you hated me so much." he grinned up at her and Elizabeth scowled at him mockingly.  
"Nice. Very nice."  
Just then Curan returned to the bedroom with a small bowl full of green, gel-like substance.  
"Colonel, when you were outside yesterday, you must have accidentally brushed your leg over one of the poisonous plants. I will give you this ointment, you will need to apply it three times a day. Also, you will need to drink plenty of fluids. But do not worry, in a few days you will be as good as new." Curan beamed at them. "Now if you excuse me, I will leave you two alone." The pair nodded and Curan left, shutting the front door behind him.

"See, told you." Elizabeth fought the urge to stick out tongue at him. She grabbed the small bowl and scooped up a bit of the ointment on her fingers, rubbing it gently onto his skin. Seeing him wince, she asked: "Does it hurt?"  
"A bit. It stings." she rubbed in more of the ointment. "Now that is nice." he remarked with a flirty grin, enjoying the feel of her fingers on his calf.  
"You could be doing this yourself, you know." She stood up, picked up the cloths and went out of the room.  
"Hey! I'm the one who's ill!" he called after her in a hurt tone. She came back after a short while, with an unamused expression on her face. Sitting down again, she resumed wiping John's forehead with damp cloths. His grin disappeared as he studied her face carefully.  
"You okay?" he asked as she removed the cloth and just sat there with her hands folded in her lap.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just...you scared me, that's all." She looked down at her hands.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." One of his hands reached out and grabbed her small hand, their fingers intertwining immediately. She looked back up at him with sad eyes.  
"I know."  
"Hey, come here." He smiled, attempting to sit up and spreading his arms wide.  
"Oh no, no, no, no. You're all sweaty." She smiled at him, pushing him back onto the mattress and backed away quickly. He pouted and Elizabeth giggled. "Maybe later."  
"Is that a promise?" his face lit up with hope even though he was already drifting off. Instead of replying she grinned and him.  
"Sleep, John."  
And he did.

Later, Elizabeth woke him up for lunch.  
"Hey sleepyhead." She touched his shoulder lightly. He rolled over onto his stomach during his sleep and Elizabeth found it strangely cute. John stirred and opened his eyes slowly, groaning quietly. "How are you feeling?" She brushed some hair from his face.  
"Tired." She smiled and caressed his back, making him shiver. She immediately stopped.  
"Think you can get some food in?"  
"I can try but I can't promise anything." He rolled onto his back and sat up, so his back was propped against the headboard. Closing his eyes, he fought a sudden wave of dizziness. When he opened them again, his eyes landed on the tray currently sitting on his lap, filled with deliciously looking meal.  
The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent with playing games on the data pad, sleeping (on John's part), reading and talking. Elizabeth settled next to him for the night and they chatted for a while before John succumbed into sleep, leaving Elizabeth with a smile on her face.

**Few days later**

"I am pleased to see you are getting better, Colonel Sheppard. I can safely say, that with Dr. Weir being completely healed as well, you will be able to go home in a few days." Curan told them with a smile on his face. "Well, it is already late, so I will be going now. Good night Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard."  
"Goodnight Curan. Thank you."  
Elizabeth sighed as she laid down on the bed on her side, facing John.  
"What's wrong, Elizabeth?"  
"Nothing. It's just...we've been here for so long that the thought of returning to Atlantis seems kind of unreal."  
"Yeah, I know what you mean."  
"It's so beautiful here. I could imagine myself staying."  
"I feel the same way. But wouldn't you miss the adventure?" Elizabeth laughed.  
"You are an adventure, John Sheppard." John grinned and took her hand in his, resting them comfortably between their heads. There was a long silence but it wasn't uncomfortable. They were both lost in thought. "I'm not sure I want to go back." Elizabeth whispered and pressed her face against the back of his hand, which held her own.  
"What? Why?"  
"I don't want to lose what we gained." His hand tightened around hers and he brushed his thumb across hers.  
"We won't lose it."  
"Promise?"  
"I promise." He lifted their joined hands and pressed a small kiss to the back of her hand. She smiled softly and squeezed his hand in a grateful gesture.  
"I'm glad you here." she whispered, her eyelashes fluttering against his skin, matching the fluttering feeling in his stomach.  
"Me too." She smiled again and returned the gesture, kissing the back of his hand. "Sleep now. We will contact Atlantis tomorrow." She nodded faintly and fell asleep. John watched her for a long time before he dozed off as well.

The next morning, John and Elizabeth dialled the Gate and connected with Atlantis through their radios.  
"Atlantis, this is Dr. Weir, come in."  
"Elizabeth, it's good to hear you!" a cheery voice with a Scottish accent filtered from the other side. Elizabeth smiled. She always liked Carson, and after all, he was one of her closest friends.  
"Carson, it's good to hear you too. Atlantis is still standing?" She grinned and could hear John snort next to her. She shot him a look.  
"Aye. Everything's alright here. How are you both doing?"  
"We're just fine, Carson. Listen, the reason why we're calling. The leader of this village, Curan, told me that I'm now completely healed and I'm allowed to go back." John watched as Elizabeth sobered a little at the last sentence.  
"That is great news, lassie!" They didn't share Carson's enthusiasm but didn't show it.  
"Yeah. We will need someone to help us with all the supplies."  
"Aye, I'll assign someone. Actually, Rodney told me about their way of healing, do you think I could talk to the leader?" They could both hear the eagerness in the doctor's voice and they had to smile.  
"I think that won't be a problem."  
"Perfect. So how about 10 o'clock tomorrow?" Elizabeth cast John a sideways glance and saw him nod.  
"Sure, why not. We'll be ready by then. Thank you Carson. Weir out."

Elizabeth sighed heavily as the gate deactivated. A touch of John's hand on her upper arm brought her out of her reverie. She smiled sadly at him. His hand slid down her arm and his fingers intertwined with hers. Together they slowly made their way back to the village, hand in hand, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly John stopped, his hand never leaving Elizabeth's so she was forced to go back and stop right beside him.  
"John, what's wrong?" He just stood there, not speaking, just looking at her, his intensive gaze and the touch of his hand sending thousands of butterflies to her stomach. With his other hand he reached up to her face and caressed her cheek lovingly. Her breath hitched in her throat and she stood there, transfixed by his gaze. He leaned in and his lips brushed hers ever so softly, her eyes immediately closing as she was overwhelmed by emotions. One of her hands rested just above his heart, feeling his heart hammering wildly against his ribcage, matching her own, and the other resting against his hip. His hand was still on her cheek and slid through her hair and the other was pressed against the small of her back, wanting to get her as close to him as humanly possible. The need for air became greater and they parted, albeit reluctantly, staying in a tight hug. It overwhelmed him, he didn't know he yearned for her, yearned for her touch so much. It was new to him and he loved the feeling. Little did he know that Elizabeth was feeling exactly the same. They stood there for a while, locked in a tight embrace, breathing heavily and trying to slow their hearts. She sighed and lifted her head from his shoulder, smiling at him.

"You okay?" he asked and smiled back.  
"Never been better." she buried her head in his shoulder again and squeezed him momentarily before she released him completely. He offered her his hand and she took it without hesitation and they walked towards the village. Soon, they were both sweaty, the weather got very hot and humid over the morning and the air around them seemed to stand still, making the weather even more unbearable. When they got to their hut, they collapsed on the bed, not moving an inch. Moving involved lots of effort and sweat. Before either of them knew it, they fell asleep.

Elizabeth awoke to a weird sound of something hitting a wood. She noticed the air was a bit colder and she looked at her watch. She slept for 5 hours, completely missing lunch and waking just in time for dinner. Yawning, she got up and stretched, groaning as the sweat broke on her body even with the slightest move. She looked outside the kitchen window and saw John chopping some wood. She shook her head in disbelief, what possessed him to go chop wood in such weather? She made a mental note to ask him about it later. She went to take a shower and then began preparing the dinner. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched as John chopped the wood. Her world narrowed to him only as she watched how his muscles on his back rippled under his skin when he lifted the axe and chopped the wood in half. She suddenly craved to touch him, to feel those muscles under her fingertips. Her gaze followed a droplet of sweat on his back as it went down the hollow of his spine. John knew he was being watched, the small hairs at the nape of his neck stood up. He had a sixth sense for this and it came really handy when he was off-world. He turned and saw smiling Elizabeth leaning against the doorframe. His eyebrows shot up in a silent question.

"Dinner is almost ready. You know, this is the last meal I'm cooking for you." she announced but didn't move from her spot. John pouted and she giggled. "Why are you doing this now?"  
"Look over there." he pointed to almost black sky not so far from them. She gasped. "It will be here in no time and we need to keep warm." He waggled his eyebrows and Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "And besides..." he paused to pick up the logs, putting them into the basket. "We have used all their logs the first few weeks, so it's only fair I'll make some more for future guests." He grinned at her and put the basket onto the small patio.  
"How very generous of you." she smirked and he gave her a look. She raised an eyebrow as he inched towards her. Propping against the doorframe with one hand right on the solid wood behind her head, he leaned down but stopped just millimetres from her face.

"Oh, I can be very generous." he shot her a look that could be described as predatory and gave her a small quick peck on her lips, picked up the basket and waltzed towards the fireplace. Elizabeth shook her head in amusement.

The thunder rolled above their heads for the first time when they were sitting at the kitchen table, quietly eating their dinner. The slight breeze turned into a strong wind and was now seeping through the opened window in the kitchen. Elizabeth shivered at the sudden cold air and went to close the window. John lit up the fireplace and settled himself on the ground just before it, his back propped against the couch. Elizabeth joined him moments later, just when they could hear the heavy downpour that started outside. They stared into the flames for a long time before John spoke.  
"This was something, wasn't it?"  
"Oh yeah." Elizabeth grinned. A long silence followed, only interrupted by the occasional roll of thunder. He heard her sigh contently as she laid her head on his shoulder. She took his hand, which rested on his thigh and played with it absent-mindedly; lacing their fingers together, stroking the back of his hand, making random patterns on his palm. John let her explore and meanwhile tried to still his rapidly beating heart. She was beautiful, the fire made her skin glow. He turned his head and looked down at her, exactly when she decided to look up at him from his shoulder. She returned his smile and rested their joined hands between them. He kissed her temple and put his arm around her shoulders, pressing her closer to him. She sighed again and he smiled into her hair.  
"Mmm, this is nice." she said and cuddled a bit more to his side.  
"Yeah?"  
"Yes. Very." She looked up at him again and their eyes locked for a long moment. John reached out and tucked one strand of hair behind her ear. "John..." Elizabeth breathed out just before his lips met hers. She couldn't stop the moan that rose from her throat and she felt John smile against her lips. Her tongue darted out and this time it was his turn to moan. Elizabeth smiled but as his hands brushed her sides, she couldn't think anymore.

How they managed to get to bed was beyond her and frankly, she didn't care. Her brain and body was still in overload as she tried to calm down her breathing and her heartbeat. Long fingers traced the hollow of her spine softly, making her shiver. She listened to his fast and steady heartbeat as she laid her head on his chest, looking up at his peaceful face, covered in a slight sheen of sweat, a content smile playing on his lips. His eyes opened and looked down at her, his smile widening. He kissed her sweaty forehead and they both succumbed into sleep.

**Next morning**

Elizabeth stirred, burying her head in John's neck.  
"Lizzy, wake up." his voice was rough from sleep as he whispered into her hair and she groaned.  
"Don't call me Lizzy." She said sleepily and John chuckled. His arms went around her naked torso and he flipped her on her back with him on top of her, grinning widely. "John..." she warned him, now fully awake, but when his lips attacked the spot behind her ear, all complaints left her mind and she moaned. "You are evil, you know that?" Much to her disappointment he stopped what he was doing and looked at her.  
"You have seen nothing yet." She didn't like the evil glint in his eyes but still she couldn't keep herself from smiling. Then he kissed her passionately. She knew she should object about their morning breaths but she found herself completely undisturbed and happily kissed him back.  
"John..." She broke the kiss and struggled to get the words out through her hazy mind caused by his ministrations. "What time is it?"  
"Mmmm, 9:40." He mumbled into her neck, his hands doing sinfully things to her sides. His answer was like a knife through the haze.  
"What? You do realize that we have 15 minutes to get ready to meet Carson, don't you?"  
"I could show you what I can do in 15 minutes." His hands moved to other interesting places and she squeaked and he grinned. He growled when she pushed him off of her.  
"You could show me how fast you can shower in 15 minutes."  
"Spoil sport." he got up slowly and reluctantly left for bathroom. Elizabeth was presented by the magnificent view of John's lovely backside until he was out of sight. She grinned into the pillow and got out of bed. It was a good thing they packed all their things yesterday.

It was close to ten o'clock when they finally met at the front door, facing each other. John could sense her hesitancy and he pulled her into a tight embrace.  
"It will be okay, I promise." She lifted her head from his shoulder and nodded. He kissed her slowly and gently, thinking that this might have been the last kiss they'd share in a few days. His whispered 'I love you' brought tears to her eyes but he quickly wiped them away as they fell down her cheeks. She assured him she felt the same before they kissed again and left the hut, greeting Carson who had been chatting amiably with Curan. The doctor pulled Elizabeth into a big hug before patting John on the shoulder.  
"It's so good to see you, Elizabeth, Colonel." she smiled at him brightly.  
"Likewise, Carson. Did you get all the information you needed?" She winked at him and smiled at Curan.  
"Aye, Curan has been very helpful. Well, shall we get going?" Elizabeth nodded.  
"Curan, we want to thank you for what you all did for us. Your hospitality is amazing. We really wish to have allies like you. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to contact us."  
"Dr. Weir, it was our pleasure. We would be very honored to become allies with your kind. And thank you for your generous offer. You and your people are always welcome here."  
"Thank you Curan." He took her offered hand and kissed it lightly. Elizabeth blushed.  
"Yes, thank you." John spoke up and shook Curan's hand. Curan smiled knowingly at him.  
"Goodbye. And thank you again."  
"You are most welcome. We hope to see you soon. Goodbye." The three Atlanteans nodded, picked up their things and made their way to the Stargate.  
"What was your stay like?" Carson queried curiously, looking at the two leaders that walked beside him.  
"It was...eventful." Elizabeth grinned at John who grinned back.  
"Oh yeah."  
Soon they were by the gate and once the wormhole was opened, Carson send his GDO and went through the gate a while later. Elizabeth and John lingered behind, sharing a long look. They smiled at each other widely and stepped through the event horizon, their hands brushing intimately, reassuring each other of the status of their relationship.

**THE END

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**I want to thank all who reviewed (I'd really appreciate if more people reviewed though) and I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!  



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